Del Lago Academy shows off high-tech, retro cool campus

Principal Keith Nuthall addresses guests at the opening ceremony of Del Lago Academy in Escondido on Thursday. The magnet school, also called the Campus of Applied Science, is scheduled to open Aug. 19.
— Jamie Scott Lytle

Principal Keith Nuthall addresses guests at the opening ceremony of Del Lago Academy in Escondido on Thursday. The magnet school, also called the Campus of Applied Science, is scheduled to open Aug. 19.
— Jamie Scott Lytle

Although opening day is still about two months away, about 300 guests got a sneak peek of Escondido’s new magnet high school on Thursday.

“How do you like your school so far?” Rich Nowicki of BakerNowicki Design Studio teased students, newly hired teachers and other guests before a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Del Lago Academy.

“We’ve been involved in many high schools, but I have to say, we’ve never been involved in anything like this, because there is no high school like this,” he said.

Guests soon had the chance to verify Nowicki’s claim as they toured the campus, which is scheduled to open Aug. 19 with 330 freshmen and sophomores. Upper grades will be added during the next two years.

About 300 people attended the opening ceremony of Del Lago Academy in Escondido on Thursday. Photos Jamie Scott Lytle

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About 300 people attended the opening ceremony of Del Lago Academy in Escondido on Thursday. Photos Jamie Scott Lytle

“My jaw is still dropping,” said Carissa Duran, one of 14 teachers hired for the school’s inaugural semester. Duran, who will teach English, first saw the campus on Tuesday.

“I probably have 200 photos on my cellphone, and I’ve been telling people how magnificent this facility is,” she said.

The school’s official name is Del Lago Academy, Campus of Applied Science, but Principal Keith Nuthall has stressed that he wants its curriculum to be as well known for liberal arts as it is for science.

The emphasis on biotechnology and science, however, can’t be missed. The 35 classrooms in the campus’ three buildings include eight science labs, including a mock hospital room with three patient beds.

Speakers at the opening ceremony included Palomar Health chief human resource officer Brenda Turner, who viewed the campus as a training ground for future physicians.

“By providing our youths with real problems, blurring the line between the classroom and the patient room, we instill a level of critical thinking that will profoundly shape our future workforce,” she said.

All students will follow a curriculum that includes science, technology, engineering, art and math.

One science lab, dedicated to retiring Escondido high school district Superintendent Ed Nelson, is an auditorium-style lecture hall where students can watch video conferences and interact with speakers.

The concept of a library filled with books has been replaced with an academic commons room, where students can collaborate on project-based assignments. On one side of the room, three crescent-shaped high-backed couches face mounted flat-screen televisions that will show projects as they are created.

Inside one lab, students Shannon Walker and Emily LaBlond checked the pulse and blood pressure of guests who stopped by their workstation. Emily was especially excited about how a digital screen rose from a concealed compartment at the push of a button.

“It’s so cool,” she said. “It makes me happy just to push the button.”

While some students work on advanced technology in the science labs, others may be just outside the classroom, relaxing with friends on couches that would look in place at hip retro diners.

Del Lago Academy's mascot, the Phoenix, is featured in a colorful chalk drawing on a blackboard outside a classroom.Gary Warth

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Del Lago Academy's mascot, the Phoenix, is featured in a colorful chalk drawing on a blackboard outside a classroom.